Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[micstrachan]

I haven’t caught up yet but thought I’d share something fun that happened this AM. I was outside with my 13 year old sitting watching our girls. I picked up Luna to give her belly scratches (my girl- she runs to me and follows me)
And all of a sudden Heizel was beside her. Luna was not impressed. She was trying to push her off. I didn’t let her because that was a 1st for Heizel. Luna got down and Heizel snuggled up. View attachment 2163393View attachment 2163394

Wonderful!

 

[Butterscotchbitesfinger]

Annie this morning watching me very carefully

 

[Shadrach]

Where are your lawn mowers? Don't you have sheep or goats or something to take care of that for you? Granted they might also eat the roses but put it down to pruning.

All that is fiction perpetrated by those who have dreams of country life but haven't yet experienced the ghastly reality.
We have Pyrenees mountain sheep. Show them an impossibly steep and unstable bank and they will do their best to assist time and gravity in getting as much of what was high down to ground level. They are interested in eating anything other than grass, clothes seem particularly attractive as do any vegetables and fruit trees. Add to this selective grazing and you might if you're lucky get a few patches of grass in among the weeds ripped out.

 

[Shadrach]

@Shadrach. To be clear, I WANT you to interfere. I want and need your advice.


At this point I figure she knows. I'm going to let her hatch in the big coop.


I removed the eggs she had been sitting on and replaced them with the fertile ones. 3 for 3. What I did not consider was others adding to her nest. How do you mark yours?


I have not considered that. I am going to install a broody cam focused right on her nest box to help with keeping an eye on her. I will consider a wire mess. That is an interesting idea.


I am pulling food from the coop. I need to set up alternate feeding stations for Phyllis now. That will be fun tonight.


Understood.

Thanks again for your help. This is exactly what I need to know. I have no knowledge and/or experience with broodies.

I put a very small dot on the eggs with an indelible marker.

 

[Ali James]

Imagine how I felt for being gone most of 6 weeks!!

I think I win with a five month absence....

 

[Shadrach]

Thanks. I understand that completely. Sydney is the priority. I was planning to candle after 5 complete days. Is that long enough in your opinion?

I'm really against this candling business.
It's something that seems to be popular with the incubator crowd but in reality for a broody hen serves no purpose other than human entertainment.
This is particularly true with such a small clutch.
My view, she hatches what she hatches. Any interference with the nest and eggs poses a risk, not just of damaging the eggs but also introducing contamination. After all, there isn't anything you can do if the eggs aren't developing. It's a chance you take and a chance they take.
This link will take you to the best chicken site on the web. I've met Tim Daniels and a couple of his more learned contributors. This is a good overview of setting up for broody hens. It is however for free range hens; most of the UK specialists are free rangers. Note in the article how he builds the broody nests. Also note he doesn't mantion anything about candling, egg washing, showing the eggs to his mates, or having hysterics on a social media platform if the hen gets off the nest.
Note also that the "experts" are mostly men.
Ahhemm...
https://poultrykeeper.com/incubating-and-hatching-eggs/hatching-chicks-natures-way/

 

[Ali James]

I haven’t caught up yet but thought I’d share something fun that happened this AM. I was outside with my 13 year old sitting watching our girls. I picked up Luna to give her belly scratches (my girl- she runs to me and follows me)
And all of a sudden Heizel was beside her. Luna was not impressed. She was trying to push her off. I didn’t let her because that was a 1st for Heizel. Luna got down and Heizel snuggled up. View attachment 2163393View attachment 2163394

How precious!

 

[Shadrach]

I have a question for those with hard moulters; do your girls look like they have a pendulous crop when they’re moulting? Charlie looks like she has a pendulous crop but it’s hard to tell as she looks like she’s got feathers sticking up all over the place. I don’t want to touch her as she’s still got pin feathers coming through, is there anything I should be doing or observing? I had a quick look on the ER threads.

Yes. The lack of feathers makes the crop shape more pronounced.

 

[Ali James]

Meet the Moochers

Certain hens in my flock recognized when opportunity presented itself last night and sweet clucked someone new into providing some human snacks for them. I wonder who it was?

View attachment 2163431

Two of them would not leave, until they scared themselves off course!

Your girls eat rather delicately compared to my little savages!

 

[Ali James]

They are such lovely girls! I only wish I had had more time with Phyllis, she decided it was bedtime once we got there.

I did snap these 2 beauties!!
View attachment 2163756

You can clearly see she's a bit lopsided in the food boob area!!!

View attachment 2163758

Miss Hattie is such a lovely soft color, pictures really don't do her justice!!

Hattie looks rather matronly in that picture! Gorgeous girl